1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for determining whether or not a speed for printing should be changed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses called “Multi-Functional Peripherals (MFPs)”, “multifunction devices”, or the like have been provided with a network function. Along with this trend, such an image forming apparatus comes to be connected to a corporate intranet, and to be used together with other devices such as a server and terminals.
A plurality of image forming apparatuses comes to be used in an intranet. In such a case, it has become possible to cause an image forming apparatus arbitrarily selected by a user from among the image forming apparatuses to print an image.
In the meantime, a method has been proposed for determining a device used to output an image. According to the method, if an image output device of high priority order is unable to output an image due to the occurrence of some sort of trouble, a server automatically transfers output information to another network printer (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-259378).
In recent years, the print speed of a printer of an image forming apparatus has become higher and higher. As the print speed is higher, a heat roller and the like are required to have a higher temperature in order to fix toner onto paper. If the heat roller has a higher temperature, more power is required to keep the temperature thereof high.
In light of recent environmental issues, printers are urged to operate in a manner to reduce their electric consumption. As described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-259378, when some sort of trouble occurs in a certain image output device, and thus, another image output device acts as a proxy to perform printing for the certain image output device, proper power saving is also urged.